Voice-enabled systems help users complete assigned tasks. As users complete their assigned tasks, a bi-directional dialog or communication stream of information is provided over a wireless network between the users wearing mobile computing devices (herein, “mobile devices”) and a central computer system that is directing multiple users and verifying completion of their tasks. To direct the user's actions, information received by each mobile device from the central computer system is translated into speech or voice instructions for the corresponding user. To receive the voice instructions and transmit information, the user wears a communications headset (also referred to herein as a “headset assembly” or simply a “headset”) communicatively coupled to the mobile device. While wearing the communications headset, the user may also need to personally interact with a customer, for example, but the audio stream may interfere with the interaction.
The ongoing bi-directional dialog or communication stream also consumes power of the mobile device and the headset. As the life of a battery in the mobile device and in the headset is limited, usage of the mobile device and/or headset is often limited to a single work shift. Therefore, a need exists for communication headsets and systems for mobile application control and power savings. There is also a need for communication headsets and systems that enable headset users to temporarily discontinue and/or mute an audio stream in order to interact free of interference before resuming the audio stream when the interaction is finished. There is also a need for communication headsets and systems that signal to the customer that the user is available for interaction. A need also exists for reducing headset and mobile device power consumption.